Airship.



D. LEVY.

- AIRSHIP APPLICATION I'ILED AUG. 12 1913.

2 SHBETSSHBBT 1.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914;;

1). LEVY.

,AIBSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1913.

- Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

navm LEVY, or new YORK'N. Y.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID LEVY, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ail'ShlPS, of which the following is a specification.

The general object of the invention is to refine the construction of that class of aircraft generally known as heavier-than-air, and to provide in such-craft means for varying the altitude of the same, and eliminat-" ing the usual elevational'planes, thus enabling the craft to ascend and descend in equilibrium. And to these ends the invention resides in a boat-shaped body depended from a series of receptacles adapted to function as air-cushions.

Other objects will appear and be better understood .from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference'being had to, the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in

Figure lis a side view of my invention partly in section andpartly in elevation. Fig. 2 is a front-elevational view of the invention. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical cross section of one of the air receptacles and the fan therefor. Fig. 4' isa detail plan view of the propelling and'steering mechanism.

The air-craft generally designated in the drawings as a consists of a body I) and a superstructure c. The superstructure c is made up of a series of air-domes 5 which are annular in shape and are closed at their u per ends. These air .domes are formed of a substantially resilient: material such as the canvas covering 6, which is enabled to retain its shape by means of the hoops, 7. These hoops are provided both on the interior and the exterior of the canvas, at points adjacent to the ends of vertical walls of the same; Upri hts 8 are provided which are assisted by t e cross pieces 9 in preventing the canvas from ballooning abnormally when under pressure.

Struts 10 are provided with bifurcated upper ends which support adjoining airdomes- These struts are connectedto the air domes at points alining with the hoops 7, and are secured thereto by means of the boltsll. This form of connection admits of the domes being detached from the craft for repairing or other reasons.

serted in its: air dome.

',bar 16 is carried by the struts, adjacent to the air domes and functions as a bearing for the shafts 15. Positioned at the upper end of each shaft, is a fan 17 which is operated by a mot0r'13 and these fans are mounted so that an equal number thereof willrotate 1n opposite directions.

The motors 13 are centrally controlled from the seat of. the operator and are simultaneously started or any single motor may be regulated when the occaslon arrives.

It will be seen by referring to Figs. 1 and 3 that approximately half of the fan is in- The fans when rotated, will-tend to fill the domes with air, and in a short time the air stored up in the dome, will be under pressure, thus impartmg an ascending'motion to the craft. As the air fills the dome, it is obvious, that the fan will not force any additional air therelnto, but will displace the air in the immediate vicinity thereof, and thus lift the entire structure from the ground.

When the desired altitude is reached b the craft, the speed of the fans is diminished; and obviously, the result of this action will beto lessen the pressure on the air contained in the air dome. All the time any air is in the dome the tendency of such air will be to escape to the atmosphere, through vents 18' in the tops of the domes; but this escape ment, while the fans are being rotated at the usual operating speed will be relatively small. Thus when the speed of the fans is lessened, the volume of air forced into the domes by the fans, is reduced. Ata certain Patented Dec. 22, 1914. Application fl1ed August 12,1918. Serial No. 784,830.

speed of rotation the lifting effect will neutralize' the attraction of gravity, and the craft may be in a stationary position in the' atmosphere. When' it is desired to descend, the fans are retarded to a minimum and the domes will function as parachutes, causing the craft to glide to earth. I v The body I; is boat-shaped in structurewhich admits of its riding upon water. A

propeller 19 is provided atthe rear of the dy and is operated by a motor 20, for propellin the air-ship when in water. Locate at the forward or bow portion of the body is a Z-shaped frame 21, rovided for carrying the air-proplelling an steering mechanism This ame is givotally mounted as at 22 and is ada ted to swun laterally for steering the 'p. of this frame is a pair of propellers 23-'23 which are geared to rotate in oppodte directions, and are operated by means of the sprocket and chains 24 and 25 b the motor 26 mounted at the lower .arm of e Z-shaped frame; A clutch 28 is provided, whereb 'the propellers may be in direct control o the operator. As shown in Fig. 4, the lower .arm 27 of the frame is of'greater width than the remainder of the frame, and fiflgvides a base for. the motor.. The end of base is provided with teeth 29 which mesh with a pinion 30. This'pinion is connected to the steering wheel 31 by a universaljoint indi Attheen' cated conventionally at 32, by which means -thepinion mayibe rotated for the frame 21.

As shown in Fig. 1 the space between the body b and the platform 12 may be inclosed by suitable material, such as canvas or tarpaulin cloth 33, which may be provided with transparencies 34, thus forming a closed compartment for the operator and pas- Jon A. Domaemn, Gso. A. Bmn. 

